The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for various conditions, including atrophy of left thigh muscles, cervical spine disorder, right and left knee patellar strains, right ankle disorder, left foot disorder, right great toe hallux valgus and hallux rigidus, obstructive sleep apnea, hypertension, pseudofolliculitis barbae (PFB), and diabetes mellitus. The Board found that the evidence did not establish a direct relationship between these conditions and service.
The deciding factor: The preponderance of the evidence was against finding a direct relationship between the Veteran's disabilities and his military service.
- Claimed conditions
- atrophy of left thigh muscles, cervical spine disorder, right knee patellar strain, left knee patellar strain, right ankle disorder, left foot disorder, right great toe hallux valgus and hallux rigidus, obstructive sleep apnea, hypertension, pseudofolliculitis barbae (PFB), diabetes mellitus
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- November 29, 2018
- Citation
- 18154081
This is a plain-language summary generated by AI from a public Board of Veterans’ Appeals decision. It can contain errors — always verify against the original. Look up the original decision on VA.gov (opens in a new tab) using citation 18154081.
What this means for you
A denial is a starting point, not the end of the road. You can see why this claim fell short — and, if you are still inside the one-year window, the appeal lanes that may remain open to you.
What you can do next
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the claims for service connection for hypertension and peripheral neuropathy of the bilateral upper and lower extremities due to insufficient medical opinions regarding their etiology.
- Denied
The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for obstructive sleep apnea, finding that there is no competent evidence to support a finding that his current condition began in or as a result of service.
- Denied
The Board of Veterans' Appeals (BVA) has denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for obstructive sleep apnea as there is no current diagnosis of this condition during the appeal period.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's claims for increased ratings and service connection are being remanded due to the need for additional development, including VA examinations.
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